Chapter 622: Mountain Stepping, Hornets and Snakes Without Light (4k)
Dark and Heidi had little interaction, and this duel was merely a routine response.
He rubbed his fingers together and spread out five cards from his hand.
[Magic Beast: Ditto]
[Little Cubone]
[Bliss III]
[Pride III]
[Deoxys]
“Starting with ‘Ditto’ and ‘Little Cubone’?”
After looking at his hand, Dark smiled slightly and immediately prepared to summon ‘Little Cubone.’
Despite ‘Little Cubone’ not being particularly reliable, even if it were to lie down right away, it could still boost its defense from 1000 points to 2500 points with ‘Three-layer Charge.’
This was enough to make it an insurmountable copper wall in the first round.
And by the second round, he wouldn’t need it anymore.
But in this duel, there was another path: after summoning ‘Little Cubone,’ he could usually summon [Magic Beast: Ditto], then use these two mana spirits as sacrifices for a ‘Sacrificial Summon’ of ‘Deoxys.’
If his opponent were any other student, he might have done that.
But now, his opponent was Heidi Euphemia; he needed to think more carefully.
Once both mana spirits were sacrificed, he would have no cards left. If ‘Deoxys’ summoned through sacrifice was restricted by Heidi’s special means, the Red Mana Guidance Ball would be fully exposed to danger.
Therefore, after summoning ‘Little Cubone’ as usual, he needed to wait and observe.
Different situations required different tactics; stubbornly rushing forward was unwise.
“I wonder what tricks she has up her sleeve?” Dark thought to himself.
…
“Drip!”
It was like a drop of water falling into his heart, sending ripples outward.
“Standby Phase” – [Battle Phase]
The countdown for the first round of “30 seconds” began ticking!
Dark instantly focused his mind and quickly cast a regular summoning spell.
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana Summoning — ‘Little Cubone!'”
After just three seconds, the summoning light from the Mana Spirit Card illuminated the Red Summoning Zone.
A ‘Little Cubone’ with deep blue long hair and triangular ears appeared in the light.
Then it scratched its belly, decisively choosing “Defense” between “Attack” and “Defense” before lying down to sleep!
“Protect the Mana Guidance Ball,” Dark instructed before ‘Little Cubone’ lay down to sleep.
Then he started preparing to summon [Magic Beast: Ditto]…
He still had two “Capital Sin III” cards in his hand; either one could turn [Magic Beast: Ditto] into a four-star mana spirit, transforming it into a First or Second Tier Mana Spirit.
With these two mana spirits, the first round would be easy to handle.
Before Dark’s second summon, Heidi finally completed her initial summon.
Her gaze sharp, she instantly drew a Mana Spirit Card and shouted, “Mana Summoning!”
Next, a white light flashed in the Blue Summoning Zone, and a snow-white spider with long knife-like legs suddenly raised its head.
[Card Name: White Blade Spider]
[Type: Mana Spirit Card]
[Level: ???]
[Race: Insect Type]
[Attribute: Bug Type]
[Mana: 1000]
[Attack: 1400]
[Defense: 500]
[Ultimate Skills: Steel Web, Sticky Silk]
Spiders technically weren’t insects, but in this world, they were classified as “Insect Types.”
As a Bug-Type Mana Spirit, the “White Blade Spider” gave a rather beautiful visual impression.
“White Blade Spider, weave the web!”
Immediately after being summoned, it obeyed Heidi’s command, lifting its front legs and pounding the ground.
In an instant, white silk rapidly spread out in front of it, creating a huge web covering almost half of the Blue Zone.
The silk threads were razor-sharp, with some having thin saw-like edges. Anyone stepping on them would surely suffer damage.
However, the “White Blade Spider” could slide across the web at high speed.
Although its stats weren’t high, it was quite useful in positional warfare.
Heidi closely watched Dark’s actions, and once she confirmed he wasn’t going for a strong attack, she relaxed slightly.
This was uncommon in Dark’s duels.
If Dark had chosen a strong attack, she would have ordered the “White Blade Spider” to use its other ultimate skill, “Sticky Silk,” to restrict Dark’s mana spirits.
“Perhaps he didn’t draw any strong attack-type mana spirits,” Heidi thought.
She saw Dark summon a second mana spirit — the familiar [Magic Beast: Ditto]!
Dark’s mana spirits were highly distinctive, making them hard to forget.
Heidi had conducted in-depth research on him, knowing all about his mana spirits.
This [Magic Beast: Ditto] could transform into other mana spirits, making it very troublesome.
However, its weakness was obvious: its mana value was low.
This meant that in a direct confrontation, the copied side had an advantage.
Thus, she didn’t need to be overly nervous.
She drew her second Mana Spirit Card and quickly summoned.
In the Blue Summoning Zone, a massive bee materialized.
[Card Name: Venomous Queen Bee]
[Type: Mana Spirit Card]
[Level: ???]
[Race: Insect Type]
[Attribute: Bug Type]
[Mana: 1500]
[Attack: 1300]
[Defense: 1300]
[Ultimate Skills: Venom Needle, Egg Laying]
This nearly meter-tall “Venomous Queen Bee” dragged its huge abdomen, with its front legs ending in slender, needle-like tips.
It was also an insect-type mana spirit, but unlike the “White Blade Spider,” it looked like a giant, real bee with clearly visible fine hairs, causing unease.
After being summoned, it immediately used one of its ultimate skills — “Egg Laying!”
Three bug eggs shot from its abdomen and landed directly on the Blue Mana Guidance Ball.
After fifteen seconds of hatching, these three eggs would hatch into three one-star “Venomous Bees.”
With these three “Venomous Bees,” the sacrifices for a ‘Sacrificial Summon’ were complete!
…
Heidi did not command the “Venomous Queen Bee” to attack.
She held tightly onto one of her Mana Spirit Cards, seemingly waiting for an opportunity.
…
After summoning [Magic Beast: Ditto], Dark did not act rashly.
The first round of the “Battle Phase” ended unexpectedly amidst mutual standoff.
…
“Battle Phase (2)” [30 seconds]
…
“Drip!”
Both duelists drew new cards simultaneously.
As he obtained two new Mana Spirit Cards, Dark’s heart stirred, and he immediately picked one to summon!
[Greed III]
[Wrestler Eagle]
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana Summoning — ‘Greed III!'”
It was extremely fortunate to draw ‘Greed III’ again in the second round.
Looking at the sharp webs covering the Blue Zone, Dark couldn’t help but smile, controlling the light of ‘Greed III’ to shine toward the ‘Little Cubone’ below.
‘Sitting’ on the ground, ‘Little Cubone’ rapidly grew under the light of evolution.
In an instant, its weight quadrupled.
From its juvenile form, ‘Little Cubone’ evolved into the adult form of ‘Cubone’!
Standing over two meters tall, ‘Cubone’ had a large, friendly appearance with its eyes always squinted.
(- ﹏ -) -zZ;
If not for Dark’s order, it would have lain down and slept soundly right away!
…
“Cubone, crush the web.”
After ‘Cubone’ finished evolving, Dark immediately issued the command.
“Kemun…”
‘Cubone’ lazily got up from the ground and slowly walked toward the Blue Zone.
‘Cubone’ had little interest in battle.
Although it embodied ‘Greed,’ it lacked the strong desire to perform like ‘啃果虫.’
In fact, it just wanted to end this duel quickly and return to the Mana Spirit Card to sleep.
Though it moved slowly, it was actually fast, reaching the midline quickly.
‘Cubone’ glanced at the ‘White Blade Spider’ opposite and slowly lifted its foot.
At that moment, Heidi, who had just completed her summon, changed her expression dramatically and shouted, “Venomous Queen Bee, Venom Needle!”
Instantly, the flying ‘Venomous Queen Bee’ aimed at ‘Cubone’ and fired several long, black-tipped venom needles!
Each needle was as long as a chopstick, with a dark tip indicating poison.
Then…
“Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!”
The dozen venom needles hit ‘Cubone.’
But ‘Cubone’ did not flinch, letting the needles bounce off its fat before finally stomping its foot!
Ultimate Skill — “Heavy Stomp!”
“Bang!”
It was like a thunderclap.
‘Cubone’s’ stomp made the ground tremble.
White light burst out in a terrifying circular shockwave.
The ‘Steel Web’ painstakingly set up by the ‘White Blade Spider’ was instantly shattered by the circular shockwave from the ‘Heavy Stomp’!
This shockwave covered a wide area, even affecting the ‘White Blade Spider’ lying on the ground.
The fragile ‘White Blade Spider’ disintegrated instantly upon impact, leaving no trace.
“Buzzzz!”
The three one-star ‘Venomous Bees’ that had hatched fled in panic.
The Blue Mana Guidance Ball was pulled upward by Heidi, successfully avoiding the shockwave.
She felt a chill and clenched her Mana Spirit Card tightly.
Then, she gritted her teeth and began a ‘Sacrificial Summon’!
…
Although the first round passed safely, Heidi did not feel any sense of侥幸 (luck).
Facing someone like Dark, who even Sara couldn’t beat, she was somewhat afraid.
But she ultimately chose to face the challenge.
In the second round, she secretly laid a ‘Secret Rite Card’ before starting the ‘Sacrificial Summon.’
Meanwhile, the flying ‘Venomous Queen Bee’ confronted the ‘Wrestler Eagle.’
The two mana spirits began a fierce battle.
Heidi felt even more pressure.
Her ‘Sacrificial Summon’ was slow; once the ‘Venomous Queen Bee’s’ mana dropped below half, the success rate would drastically decrease.
Therefore, she had to complete the summon before that happened!
…
On the Red Competitors’ Platform.
Dark observed the entire situation and activated ‘Bliss III.’
The [Magic Beast: Ditto] guarding the Red Mana Guidance Ball swelled slightly in the light of ‘Bliss,’ becoming a four-star mana spirit.
“Busy!”
Its eyes became sharper, but it couldn’t find a target for transformation.
Only ‘Cubone’ was a Second-Tier Mana Spirit, but ‘Cubone’ was helpless against aerial units.
It squinted its eyes, aiming ahead at the mana spirit Heidi was about to summon through sacrifice!
…
Heidi’s ‘Sacrificial Summon’ was indeed slow.
When she finally completed it, the thirty-second countdown for the second round was almost over.
“Venomous Queen Bee” barely held on with its dual venom needles.
“Sacrificing ‘Venomous Queen Bee’ and the two ‘Venomous Bees’ to perform a ‘Sacrificial Summon’ — ‘Blue Feather Flying Snake’!”
Apart from ‘White Blade Spider,’ most of Heidi’s Mana Spirit Cards were flying mana spirits.
This was to avoid her own mana spirits being restricted by the ‘Steel Web.’
The ‘Blue Feather Flying Snake’ also flew in the air, effectively dodging ‘Heavy Stomp’ and ‘Earthquake.’
‘Cubone’ struggled to enter the battlefield, only able to stand guard.
A flying snake with blue feathers materialized in the light of the ‘Sacrificial Summon’ array, triggering Heidi’s previously laid ‘Secret Rite Card.’
Suddenly, a transparent vortex appeared in the Blue Summoning Zone.
Then, a completely transparent ‘Blue Feather Flying Snake’ abruptly emerged, emitting a piercing cry.
[Card Name: Blue Feather Flying Snake]
[Type: Mana Spirit Card]
[Level: ?????]
[Race: Avian-beast Kin]
[Attribute: Normal Type]
[Mana: 2100]
[Attack: 2200]
[Defense: 1400]
[Ultimate Skills: Feather Arrow, Multiple Feather Arrows]
The stats of the ‘Blue Feather Flying Snake’ were unremarkable among five-star mana spirits.
For a student who had recently entered the Second Year, creating such a five-star mana spirit card was already extremely difficult.
Moreover, Heidi had two ‘Blue Feather Flying Snakes’ in her field!
Though the ‘Blue Feather Flying Snake’ replicated by the ‘Secret Rite Card’ had a short duration and lower stats, it remained fierce.
Heidi’s aura soared.
“Blue Feather Flying Snake, shoot ‘Feather Arrow’!”
The two ‘Blue Feather Flying Snakes’ immediately charged out.
Two arrows were shot out in quick succession, one aimed at the ‘Wrestler Eagle’ in the air and the other at ‘Cubone’ on the ground.
But the ‘Wrestler Eagle’ quickly dodged the arrow.
‘Cubone’ remained unfazed, even as the arrow struck.
“Multiple Feather Arrows!” Heidi suddenly shouted.
The sound of the timer was drowned out by her shout.
Clearly, Heidi was anxious.
The ‘Multiple Feather Arrows’ launched simultaneously by the two ‘Blue Feather Flying Snakes’ filled the sky.
The ‘Wrestler Eagle’ had nowhere to dodge and vanished after being hit by several arrows.
‘Cubone’… remained immovable!
And in the Red Summoning Zone, a third ‘Blue Feather Flying Snake’ took flight.
